Plague
12
AU, Ryuuga and Ryuuto live in Edinburgh in the year 1644 with their mother, however with the black death around they are not safe to live the life that had been dreamed for them.
He moved quickly, having finished his job at the early morning market, gutting the fish and being paid his dues he made his way home. The city had changed since he and his family arrived in the city only a few years ago, now if he looked at the homes along the street he could see white cloths hanging out of the windows, or attached to the front door.
To let everyone be aware that the Black Death had come upon them and only one man may enter.
There was, on some of the doorsteps, baskets, covered in a white cloth; which was full of food and drink, along with coal for the family who were trapped inside. It became a rule that everyone would be fed, since they were not allowed to leave their home while the plague was visiting them.
He stepped over the sewage that ran across his path every so often, careful to avoid any of the muck that got thrown out of the windows from the high class servants above. By the time he arrived home and entered the house he was met by his younger brother, who was in tears.
"What…"
"Ryuuga…" His brother hugged him, crying so hard that his own body shook and he gently rubbed his back, trying to calm him down but to no avail.
"What's wrong?" He asked him, trying to figure out what could cause his own brother to react like this.
"It's… She felt ill, so she rested but…"
Ryuuga knew their mother had felt ill, for a while she had felt so weak and had constant headaches although she pushed through it, thinking it was nothing to worry about. That it was just a cold and she would get over it in time.
"There's a white…" Ryuuga realised he had thought it belonged to one of the neighbours above them; although if he was honest with himself he was just trying to deny it.
"She started to throw up and… And I had to get someone…"
"Calm down Ryuuto," He said, trying to comfort his brother, although he knew that his presence of being home was enough to calm him, he needed his brother to tell him exactly who came to see her.
"Dr Doiji came to see her,"
Ryuuga just nodded, he knew of Doiji, the man hand helped them before; in fact he had helped nearly all the families in the close.
He heard his mother throwing up into one of the pots by her bed as Ryuuto clung to him, sniffling.
"Calm down, Dr Doiji has always helped," He tried to sooth his brother, who nodded into his chest believing everything that he told him.
Which worked, however not even Dr Doiji, a man who was well known for his medical practices was immune to the plague that had hit the city so violently.
Dr Doiji might have worn the Plague Doctor's mask that was stuffed with herbs, which were believed to help keep him safe from the plague, but he too succumbed to the plagues influence.
When the brother's heard the news they kept it from their mother. Ryuuto had become more solemn in his ways, no longer was he so bright and playful, for what did he have to be happy about? His mother was dying, as far as he was aware no one survived the plague.
"Have we sinned?" He once asked Ryuuga thoughtfully as they made a basic meal from the food that had been delivered to them.
"What?" Ryuuga just looked at him for a moment; "Do you think we have?"
Amber eyes looked into his own; "Everyone says that I am too naïve to understand what sinning is brother," He sighed and looked over to the fire that was warming up the broth; "Everyone says that those who suffer from the plague has sinned. Is it true? But what kind of sin has our mother commited?"
Ryuuga looked at his brother, letting out a breath; "I had heard that even the Pope left his kingdom when this arrived,"
Ryuuto just looked at him; "That was a long time ago though,"
"Maybe, but still, he fled. Many suspect that he was not really a good Pope to begin with,"
"Brother!"
He just shrugged; "You know how I feel about it,"
"But still God will…"
Ryuuga shook his head; "Right now, people are dying brother, that cannot be God's will can it?"
Ryuuto moved to stir the broth; "But…" Before he could continue there was a knock at the door, Ryuuga nodded at him to continue on while he went to answer it.
Standing before him was a man, just taller than Doiji had been, wearing the same long beaked mask, but this man wore a long leather coat and leather gloves. Had Ryuuga looked at him for longer he would have seen that everything he wore was leather.
"This way," Was all he said, leading the new doctor to where their mother was, moaning in pain, sweat trickling down her forehead, her once delicate pale hands were now a darkish shade of blue.
Their mother was no longer coherent anymore, she would thrash about whenever someone came near her, the bubos were big and filled with fluid that the doctor had to try and drain, but it was hard, given that she wouldn't stay still; but the doctor refused to let either boy help him.
"It's too dangerous, do you want both of you to be on a bed like this?"
Ryuuga ignored him and carefully held his mother's arms down; "We live with her, if it's infected her it will infect us,"
"That is…"
"The truth," Ryuuto said softly, moving to hold her legs down; "I have heard that whole families are wiped out, why should ours be any different?"
The doctor said nothing, just got to work to drain the fluid, moving to bind them with his herbs; he worked quickly, and one he was done he looked at the two boys.
"I need to see if you are both infected,"
"You can wait," Ryuuga said firmly; "Right now we are both fine, as far as we are aware, our mother's health is more important,"
"And neither of you are feeling…"
"No, we are not," Ryuuto said sharply and the man nodded, turning to leave.
"You may wish to pray for her," He said as he left the house.
Ryuuga looked to find a basket had been left and brought it inside, quickly closing the door so that nothing could get out and found Ryuuto beginning to pour out the broth into the bowls, leaving one empty for their mother to have alter.
"So she is…" The youngest brother glanced at their mother and had to look away.
She was no longer the mystical being that everyone found so inspiring and exotic, with her luscious long white hair and gleaming amber eyes, her porcelain skin was no longer; instead she had transformed into a monster. Her long hair had to be cut, given that Dr Doiji believed it had helped the disease come into her, it no longer was beautiful as it had been, instead in was full of knots that neither brother had the heart to brush out, even though they knew their mother would have liked them to, but given how sensitive her skin had become they both knew it would be pointless. Her skin was now turning partially black, with her hands giving the sign that she didn't have long left to go in this life; her amber eyes were now wild and blood shot, unable to sleep properly without the aid of the sleeping medicine that the new doctor had given them, but even that didn't make her sleep through the whole night.
Each brother was lost in their own thoughts, wondering what the future would hold for them, and had come to the starling realisation that their future might very well be in this room.
That neither brother would ever be able to leave the room alive.
It was a sobering thought for them both and that night, rather than sleep alone in his space on the floor, Ryuuto curled into his brother, who just wrapped his arms around him.
"I don't want to die… I don't want you to die… I don't…"
"Go to sleep brother," Ryuuga said to him and he did, he fell into a deep slumber that meant he was unaware of their mother's last gargling breath.
He didn't know that Ryuuga moved from his place on the floor to kneel next to her bed, praying for his mother's safe journey into the Kingdom of Heaven.
It was only when he woke up the next day and found her bed empty that he realised what happened.
"Where…"
The doctor appeared at the door as the body was taken away, placed into a cart, to be dumped outside the city along with the other plague victims it would charge to remove along the way.
"She's gone," Ryuuga said softly as his brother sat down on the small stool and cried. He looked at the doctor over his shoulder; "Now what?"
"Do either of you feel feverous?"
"I don't..." Ryuuto couldn't answer; "I don't know,"
"That plague took our mother's life, it also took Doiji's life too. We've been around them both and neither of us have been infected by it. Although you could wait another week to see what happens," Ryuuga told him and moved to comfort his brother.
"Very well, I shall make sure food and fuel is sent to you, you shall remain here for another week,"
"Wait!" Ryuuto said and looked at him, before looking at Ryuuga; "We should tell father…"
"He's busy," Ryuuga said.
"I know but, he needs to know,"
"I shall make sure he is aware of what is going on," The doctor told them, closing the door.
As the doctor walked down the street he wondered how the boys were going to cope, although Ryuuga was on the brink of manhood his brother was not, and indeed his brother was rather sensitive to things as well.
If they both have it… He began to wonder if they did, what Ryuuga had said was true, they had been around their mother and Doiji for the whole time they had been in that little house, neither brother appeared to be infected; They might just have a chance.
He had one other problem, from what he had learned, the boy's father was no longer alive either, killed in battle against King Charles the 1st.
One thing at a time I think. He thought to himself as he continued to make his rounds, deciding it wasn't time to let them know; They have to deal with one death so close to home, another would probably…
He wasn't to know that Ryuuga was already giving his brother into trouble for bringing their father up.
"Why did you say that?"
"Because he's our father, he has a right to know that his wife…"
"He's at war with the King," Ryuuga began and sighed shaking his head; "Pray for her soul,"
Ryuuto nodded and began to pray, not just for his departed mother, but also for his father as well; while Ryuuga moved to get breakfast on, trying to not look at the bed in which his mother had died on; trying with all his might to remove the image of her in his mind.
No one should have seen her like that. He thought to himself, deciding that if he and Ryuuto were fine in the next week he would leave the city, go somewhere else where he wouldn't have the reminder of his mother's death over his head.
Where I can be free.